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EU regulation?

StevieJ
StevieJ Posts: 20,174 Forumite
Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
edited 19 January 2013 at 1:04PM in Debate House Prices & the Economy
I was talking to a Swedish guy who works as a global project manager, he said that the problem with the UK is not EU regulations but litigation. What he meant was that to satisfy the UK they need to over engineer because of the possibility of being sued, that old 'elf an safety' again. He reckons nowhere in the world is anywhere near as bad a here (well apart from the US I guess). This increases the cost structure in the UK and doesn't do a lot to encourage foreign business to set up here. He also stated that Global business was very happy with EU regulations but UK regulations go too far. Well that was the gist of it though the discussion took place with beer goggles on icon11.gif Oh he also said that the UK was 50 years behind the times (I suppose a bit like visiting Dublin in the mid 90's).
What do you think?
'Just think for a moment what a prospect that is. A single market without barriers visible or invisible giving you direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of over 300 million of the worlds wealthiest and most prosperous people' Margaret Thatcher

Comments

  • StevieJ wrote: »
    What do you think?

    I think the British Chambers of Commerce report I quoted in the other thread said much the same thing.

    That 99% of the costs from regulation and bureaucracy are from UK rules, and just 1% was for the EU.

    It's just a non-issue for British Business in the real world.
    “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie – deliberate, contrived, and dishonest – but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic.

    Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.”

    -- President John F. Kennedy”
  • StevieJ
    StevieJ Posts: 20,174 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    His point was more about the excess of ambulance chasers in the UK but yes as you say business is not that bothered by "barmy Brussels bureaucrats"
    'Just think for a moment what a prospect that is. A single market without barriers visible or invisible giving you direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of over 300 million of the worlds wealthiest and most prosperous people' Margaret Thatcher
  • Thrugelmir
    Thrugelmir Posts: 89,546 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Photogenic
    StevieJ wrote: »
    What he meant was that to satisfy the UK they need to over engineer because of the possibility of being sued, that old 'elf an safety' again.

    Any examples?
  • StevieJ
    StevieJ Posts: 20,174 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Thrugelmir wrote: »
    Any examples?

    Sorry he mentioned one or two but I can't remember now, I just remembered the general thread, maybe Hamish could quote some from the
    British Chambers of Commerce report?
    'Just think for a moment what a prospect that is. A single market without barriers visible or invisible giving you direct and unhindered access to the purchasing power of over 300 million of the worlds wealthiest and most prosperous people' Margaret Thatcher
  • Generali
    Generali Posts: 36,411 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    A lot of EU regulation is really helpful as it lets companies compete across Europe in a fair and cheap way: the EU has removed huge amounts of legislation that made it harder to compete across borders (anyone remember French yellow headlights?).

    Yes, people get upset when it's their local industry that has protectionism removed or when the weight of fruit and veg changes: what sort of Aris hole would make you charge by the 450g rather than by the pound for example?
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